HAVING OVERCOME TRAGEDY, RUDY GALINDO IS POISED TO WIN FIGURE SKATING'S WORLD TITLE

JOAN CRISTOBAL IS PROUD OF HER skating and proud of her rink. She practices where the U.S. national champ, Rudy Galindo, trains. More than that, Galindo has taken an interest in her. He even devised the two-minute program, complete with a double Salchow, that she will use in juvenile competition. "It's great," says Joan, who is 10. "He makes up all this stuff and gives good advice." His counsel? "Push, push, push."

This year Galindo, 26, is staging his own ultimate push. He was the surprise winner at the nationals, held in January in his hometown of San Jose, California. For...